Worldwide, over 65% of all Websites are powered by WordPress. Similarly, WordPress is continuing to emerge as a leading content management system for schools for a variety of reasons we will cover in this post.
In fact, as many as 3.5 million schools, including universities, colleges, and other learning institutes, use WordPress to manage their website.
Are you looking for a platform that makes managing school sites straightforward? Then, keep reading for more information on WordPress for an education site.
How WordPress Works
WordPress is one of the leading platforms for website building. One of the reasons why WordPress is such a popular platform is due to the fact that it is open source.
Open source means that anyone can access the behind-the-scenes coding and personalize it to their preferences. Furthermore, due to the open-source platform, users can write plugins and templates for optimal use.
Moreover, the open source community is supportive as the average user requires little to no knowledge of coding if they are looking for a simple website. In addition, plenty of plugins and templates are available for installation to customize a site.
Differences Between Open Source and Propriety
Other options are available for website building, of course. Usually called propriety, this option does not make their back-end coding public, and therefore it is not as flexible as open source.
Some examples of open source software are:
- Android
- Firefox
- Open Office
On the other hand, propriety software includes well-known companies like:
- Windows
- Microsoft Office
- macOS
The main differences between the two options are usually the issue of payment. Propriety software is licensed and often requires a subscription or a one-time fee.
In some situations, propriety software might be a decent option–for example Windows and Microsoft Office are tools that are widely used in the world of education. Both services have a well-known reputation and are trusted by professionals worldwide.
When it comes to site building, the flexibility, support, and community that WordPress offers are valued by many businesses. In addition, companies and many educational institutes trust WordPress to bring in new students, help with student retention, communicate with their students, and much more.
Best WordPress Platform Features for Schools
Creating an online presence is essential for any business. However, choosing the wrong platform is potentially detrimental to your brand.
Below we will discuss some of the best features WordPress for an education site has to offer.
1. Reliability
The digital world is constantly changing, and keeping up with changes can become challenging for specific organizations as their primary focus lies elsewhere. However, WordPress is built with the future in mind.
Since WordPress is open-source, new and innovative measures are added every day. Additionally, WordPress also performs regular website updates, allowing for seamless performance with new tech.
2. Security
Security can become a huge problem if not handled correctly. Furthermore, this is especially true for higher-level education.
There are numerous reasons why learning institutes should be aware of the security risks. While the reasons might be obvious, such as hackers, student confidentiality, and more, there are plenty of ways to lock down your site.
Due to the open-source platform, users are prone to make mistakes regarding security. However, an iron-clad site is possible with the proper management.
Prevention of hacking can include simple steps such as installing trusted plugins, updating your website, and keeping informed is a sure way to ward hackers off.
3. Scalability
WordPress is popular with a lot of beginner bloggers. Nevertheless, it is also popular among established companies due to its vast scalability.
This means that the website can grow with the business, including educational institutes. As your school grows in students, courses, or departments, developing your site with WordPress with easy upgrades and migrations is possible.
Additionally, it is difficult for schools to predict their site’s traffic. While certain times of the year traffic can be slow, other times, the site requires to perform on a higher level due to the increased traffic.
With WordPress, your site can keep up with the demands and run at peak performance.
4. Flexibility
Again, due to the open-source concept of WordPress, the platform is highly flexible. Even if you are not an expert in coding, the average user can still adapt and customize their website with the thousands of plugins available.
For example, as an educational site, you can add plugins, themes, and other items such as:
- Campus maps
- Student Directory
- Faculty Directory
- Calendars
- FAQ
- News and events
- Reviews
- And more
The sky is the limit when building a website with WordPress.
5. User Permissions
WordPress allows setting user permissions; while this feature can easily be overlooked, it is extremely valuable to learning institutions.
For example, once a student is accepted into the school, you can permit access to certain pages that are not accessible to the general public. This can include exclusive news and events, student support, and private information such as their progress and grades.
Additionally, you can establish a messaging board where your students and faculty can communicate with each other while keeping this information from the public.
6. Marketing
One of the main reasons WordPress is popular is that it is compatible with many different platforms, including hosting (more on that later) and social media platforms.
WordPress seemingly integrates its content with popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Most schools rely on social media to market their courses, events, and more. Therefore, the ability to market your content on social media with a click of a button is beneficial to many schools.
7. Costs
School websites are known for their high costs. However, WordPress for education sites can be an inexpensive option.
While the use of WordPress is free, payment for domain and hosting is still a requirement. However, depending on the size of your website, this is relatively low.
Additionally, many plugins are also free to use. However, many premium options come at a higher price. Furthermore, the option of choosing a budget-friendly plan is there, while allowing for growth further along as your revenue increases.
8. SEO-Friendly
SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is the key to expanding your brand, bringing in new students, and promoting your school.
You will need to keep in mind many aspects of SEO. Thankfully, plenty of plugins optimize their performances for speed and other factors for high ranking.
That being said, Google considers many different factors when ranking a site. Therefore, your website must tick all the boxes so that you will rank high.
9. Vast Community
The majority of plugins and themes available for WordPress are made by companies specializing in that specific field.
The benefit of having companies that specialize in a particular product is that you know and trust their support. While they attempt to build their brand, just like you, you can trust that their advice is reliable.
Due to the number of plugins, a large and reliable community was created to increase the performance and user experience.
While a controlled community like a proprietary platform may seem more reliable, many experts have found that the collaboration of open-source platforms is beneficial for everyone involved.
As a result, many companies work together and aim to achieve a similar goal. With this in mind, the community members can reach out and rely on each other without the fear of breaching trust.
10. Compatibility
As we mentioned above, WordPress is compatible with several different platforms. These platforms include social media, other plugins, templates, and more.
However, the most notable compatibility is the plethora of hosting platforms available for WordPress, including WPEngine and Bluehost, each of which make hosting simple
We cannot stress the importance of an excellent hosting platform enough. A hosting platform will make all the difference in the performance and speed of your website.
If you are unhappy with your current choice, another valuable benefit of WordPress is that it also migrates easily between different platforms.
WordPress allows for importing existing websites into the system. It works similarly to copying and pasting documents. In theory, this is an easy step, but you may run into some difficulties if done incorrectly.
WordPress for Education Site: Start Today
As you can see, WordPress is a popular platform for its trust, reliability, security, and scalability. WordPress for your education site might be the best option that the web offers.
If you are looking to build a new website, or migrate to WordPress, look no further than here. We can manage your complete website so that you don’t have to worry about coding, downloading plugins, or any other tasks involved with operating a site.
Contact us today for more information!
